Start Your Book Proposal With These Three Sections
Award-winning author and podcaster Debra Eckerling breaks down which three sections authors should use to start their book proposals.
One of the biggest challenges authors face is deciding what book to write. This is especially true for experts in the nonfiction realm. Thought leaders—whether they are consultants, executives, or entrepreneurs—have a lot of knowledge to share, but are not always sure of what direction to go in.
That’s part of what makes your book proposal such a powerful document. It helps you clarify your book idea, develop the content, and position it—and you as the expert—in the best way possible. Then, when you get the book deal, everything is laid out, making writing it “easy.” Well, as easy as writing a 40,000-80,000-word manuscript can be!
Start your book proposal by working on these three sections first: Overview, Audience, and Comprehensive Titles. They will work in tandem to help you gain clarity on your slant, audience, and proof of salability.
1. Overview
The first section in your book proposal, after the title page and splash/photo, is About the Book. The first part of that section is the Overview. This is a one-pager (no more than two), where you:
- Start with the hook: a statistic, quote, or other compelling information.
- Share what the book is (genre, topic), what makes it unique, and why you are the best and only person who can write it.
- Conclude with a statement that hits home about the need for the book to be out in the world/who will read it and why.
If you are having trouble figuring out your Overview, try Directed Journaling.
- In short sprints of time (5 to 15 minutes), free write the answer to a specific question or questions that relate directly to the book: What is this book? Why must I write it? Who needs to read it?
- Do this several times before reading through your entries?
- See if the answer reveals itself. If not, repeat the process.
If you’re deciding between multiple ideas:
- Brainstorm multiple “differentiator” lines: “While other books on the topic DO THIS, only this book DOES THAT.”
- Write a brief overview for each one.
- Sleep on it, go for a walk, give it some space, and then read through them again.
The Overview is a blueprint Every other section of the book grows from what you lay out in this section. If you are having trouble nailing it, it just means you haven’t figured it out yet.
For more clarity, start working on the Audience or Comp Section. These two sections reside at the end of the Context/Promotion section; right before you go into the book’s Table of Contents, Detailed Outline, and Sample Chapters.
2. Audience
Just like your product or service is not for everyone, neither is your book. Still, you need to decide who is your ideal reader. Too small of an audience, it’s not salable. Too large, it is not focused enough. Find what’s in-between.
The audience section is research-based, and runs two to three pages. You are making the case that there is a large demographic of people ready to buy your book.
- Start with an internet search asking, “Who reads books on THIS SUBJECT?”
- Then, put the answer in the form of the next question, “How much money does THIS DEMOGRAPHIC spend on books on THIS TOPIC?”
- You can also ask, ““What is the market for books on THIS SUBJECT?”
Read some of the articles referenced in the answer, and find statistics that support your thesis that people will spend money on a book on your topic. Hyperlink to any articles you reference, but also include, “According to WHATEVER WEBSITE OR ORGANIZATION,” along with the data.
If you are stuck on your audience, think about:
- What is your reason for writing the book?
- Who is it specifically designed to help? What demographic will benefit the most from your experience/expertise/methodology?
- Who are your clients, customers, and/or prospects?
Note: You can research and include both a primary and secondary audience, if that makes sense for your book.
- Primary audience consists of the ideal readers with the most specific need for your content.
- Secondary audiences are tangential groups or those who might purchase the book for the primary audience.
As a thought leader, you will be talking about this topic to this audience for years to come. You want to get it right! This will also help you with the Overview and Comps sections.
3. Comp Titles
If you are having trouble pinpointing your specific topic slant, start researching Comps.
Comparable titles are books that have sold well and:
- Are similar enough to yours that you have proof that people buy books on this topic,
- AND different enough so anyone who buys this title also needs to buy your book.
For your comp section, look for five titles that are:
- Traditionally published,
- Released within the last five years,
- And have good ratings and a substantial number of reviews.
Start by searching Amazon for books in your subject matter. When you find one that looks promising, scroll down to the categories. Click on the category or categories that your book would be shelved in; that will lead you to those bestselling titles, which will give you even more options. It’s a rabbit hole, but a fun one that will give you an idea of what’s out there and what has and hasn’t sold.
Keep in mind, if you can’t find any comparable titles, that may be a red flag. But it can also be a signal that you need to be more creative in your comp search. For instance:
- There are bestselling how-tos on your subject, but none in the memoir plus space… or vice versa.
- Your book combines three different business or self-help modalities. Find a comp or two in each category, explain how your book merges these ideas, and adds value to the marketplace.
Seeing what’s already published will give you an idea of where the need is, helping you frame your perspective, methodology, and experience for your book proposal.
Getting Started … for Real
Writing a nonfiction book can be a daunting task, which is why you need a book proposal, no matter how you decide to publish. And these three foundational book proposal elements will set you on the right path.
Once you are able to clearly articulate your Overview, identify your primary and potentially secondary Audiences, and see where your book fits alongside Comp titles, you—and your book idea—will be raring to go!
